Archive for October, 2011

Here are two new laws which will make a difference in people’s lives! The first clearly adds gender and identity to our nondiscrimination laws; vital to the employment and housing concerns of trans people (among other issues). The second simplifies and clarifies who is qualified to change gender in CA, eliminating some confusion with federal requirements. Good stuff!

From the Transgender Law Center:
“With the help of your input and our partners at Equality California and GSA Network, we came up with two legislative solutions to these problems.

The Gender Nondiscrimination Act (AB 887) takes existing protections based on gender and spells out “gender identity and expression” as their own protected categories in our nondiscrimination laws. By making these protections explicit, people will more clearly understand California’s nondiscrimination laws, which should increase the likelihood that employers, schools, housing authorities, and other institutions will work to prevent discrimination and/or respond more quickly at the first indications of discrimination.

The Vital Statistics Modernization Act (AB 433) will alleviate the confusion, anxiety and even danger that transgender people face when we have identity documents that do not reflect who we are. The bill will streamline current law and clarify that eligible petitioners living or born in California can submit gender change petitions in the State of California. The Vital Statistics Modernization Act conforms California’s standards to the standards set by the United States Department of State for gender changes on passports, and it makes common-sense changes to the law that ensure the process is simple for qualified petitioners to navigate.”